Since its inception in 1872, Yellowstone National Park has protected 2.2 million acres of cherished American land for future generations, but in doing so, it's contributing a megaton of carbon emissions every year.
A new study, published on Wednesday in PLOS, comes hot on the heels of a report on the most polluted National Parks in the country. It uses a case study approach to estimate the effects of Yellowstone's tourism – usually averaging around four million visitors a year – on the environment. Their calculations show that park tourism is responsible for 1.3 billion kg of carbon emissions each year, breaking down to 479 kg per visitor, about the weight of a male adult grizzly bear.
